We sit through the interviews , trying to keep an interested face although we're bored as soon as Artie takes the stage. He's as charming as ever, keeping the audience laughing before district 1s female tribute takes the stage. I fight back the urge to yawn as he drawls off question after question to each tribute until Katniss takes the stage. She looks a little like a deer on a train track, while the train is approaching fast.
"So, Katniss, the Capitol must be quite a change from District 12. What's impressed you most since you arrived here?" asks Artie. She look confused for a minute, and glances up to Cinna, who gives her a reassuring smile.
"The lamb stew," She tells him, and Artie laughs, along with some of the audience.
"The one with the dried plums?" asks Caesar. I nod. "Oh, I eat it by the bucketful." He turns sideways to the audience in horror, hand on his stomach. "It doesn't show, does it?" The audience shout reassurances and cheer. Artie always tries to help you out.
"Now, Katniss," he says confidentially, "When you came out in the opening ceremonies, my heart actually stopped. What did you think of that costume?"
I see her look at Cinna again, who raises an eyebrow. "You mean after I got over my fear of being burned alive?" The audience laughs again, louder.
"Yes. Start then," says Artie.
"I thought Cinna was brilliant and it was the most gorgeous costume I'd ever seen and I couldn't believe I was wearing it. I can't believe I'm wearing this, either." She lifts up her skirt a little, fanning it out. "I mean, look at it!"
The audience makes some appreciative noises, and Artie motions for her to twirl, which she does. And it's amazing, she looks like she's on fire. Not burning brightly, but twinkling like the dying embers in a coal fire. The audience is amazed as well.
"Do it again!" Artie laughs, and she spins a few more times. "Don't stop!"
"I have too, I'm dizzy!" She's got the audience eating out of the palm of her hand, and I smile widely. That's our girl!
Artie wraps an arm around her. "Don't worry, I've got you. It's all right," Artie reassures her and the crowd. "She's safe with me. So, how about that training score. E-le-ven. Give us a hint at what happened in there."
Katniss looks shy for a minute, and looks up to the gameskeepers balcony. "Um . . . all I can say, is I think it was a first."
The gameskeepers chuckle and nod, which is a good sign.
"You're killing me! Details." Artie looks up to the gameskeepers as well.
"I'm not supposed to talk about it, right?" Katniss asks in their direction.
"No, she's not!" Comes a reply for the back of the balcony. I bet that was the guy that fell in the punch bowl. I supress a chuckle.
"Thank you," Katniss replies. "Sorry. My lips are sealed."
"Let's go back then, to the moment they called your sister's name at the reaping," says Artie. His mood is quieter now. "And you volunteered. Can you tell us about her?"
She looks thoughtfully at Cinna. "Her name's Prim. She's just twelve. And I love her more than anything."
It's so quiet here now, if I screamed everyone in the audience would probably have a heart attack.
"What did she say to you? After the reaping?" Arite asks.
"She asked me to try really hard to win." The audience is frozen, hanging on her every word.
"And what did you say?" prompts Artie gently.
"I swore I would." Her voice is icy.
"I bet you did," says Caesar, reaching over to squeeze her hand lightly. The buzzer goes off. "Sorry we're out of time. Best of luck, Katniss Everdeen, tribute from District Twelve."
The audience goes wild, screaming and cheering long after she's taken her seat.
Peeta gets up next, charming as ever, the audience laughs and cheers along with him. He plays the part of the bakers son, comparing bread to tributes, then tells a funny story about a shower. I'm not really listening because I know what's coming next.
"Do you have a girlfriend back home?" Artie asks him. Some of the girls in the audience lean forward, like he's not going to die in the next few days.
Peeta hesitates for a second before shaking his head.
"Handsome lad like you. There must be some special girl. Come on, what's her name?" says Artie.
Peeta sighs. "Well, there is this one girl. I've had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I'm pretty sure she didn't know I was alive until the reaping."
Sounds of sympathy from the crowd. Unrequited love theycan relate to.
"She have another fellow?" asks Artie.
"I don't know, but a lot of boys like her," says Peeta.
"So, here's what you do. You win, you go home. She can't turn you down then, eh?" says Artie encouragingly.
"I don't think it's going to work out. Winning . . . won't help in my case," says Peeta.
"Why ever not?" says Artie, mystified.
Here it comes. I feel sorry for Katniss already.
Peeta blushes beet red and stammers out. "Because . . . because. . . she came here with me."